Musings on Travel and Dining

Menu

Ho Chi Minh City

Banh Mi Hyun Hoa is generally considered the best banh mi shop in Ho Chi Minh City. The shop sits in a very small space with just a couple of chairs.

It is take away only. I have heard complaints that they don’t speak English there, but I did not run into that problem. By no means was their English perfect, but way better than my three words of Vietnamese.

The banh mi here is on the more expensive side for what you can find on the street, at ~$1.30. But the banh mi is absolutely loaded with meat. Dare I say too much meat, especially for somebody who is a meat lover.

They don’t open until 3 PM, so if you’re hoping to grab one for a late breakfast or early lunch, you are out of luck.

Although Vietnam is one of the world’s top producers of coffee, their coffee culture has not always been what it is today. Yes, many Vietnamese drink coffee regularly, thanks in large part to its French influence.

One of the most iconic drinks of Vietnam is Café Su Da, or Vietnamese iced coffee. Start out with very strong drip coffee, add a very generous amount of sweetened condensed milk and pour it on top of ice. It’s almost akin to drinking melted ice cream.

I made a quick stop at Vietnamese Coffee Republic, where they take their coffee seriously.

Downstairs

The space is on the smaller side, as it is very narrow but long. There is a stand up coffee “bar” on the first floor with a couple of tables. There is a gradually winding staircase leading to the second floor, but I did not have a chance to go up there. The entire space is clean and modern, with bookshelves adorning the back to give it a “library” feel against the stark contrast of white.

Glassware

There appears to be Japanese glassware that is used to make coffee as well.

Cafe Su Da

As usual, it was rather hot and humid in Ho Chi Minh City, so I decided to go with the Café Su Da. The coffee is extremely strong, but the generous amount of ice and sweetened condensed milk instantaneously cooled me down some.

Nha Hang Ngon is located fairly close to the Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Central Post Office.

At night, this is one of the more popular restaurants, as it is a little more upscale. There is a large outdoor patio, and most of the guests were in their early 20’s. It appeared as if this was one of the places to “be seen”.

Goi Cuon

Once again, I started with the Goi Cuon (16,000 dong), as these are one of my favorites, but also for comparison purposes. There were three to an order, and like the rest of the spring rolls I had in Ho Chi Minh City, the rice paper wrapping was rather dry. Each spring roll contained a large prawn, pork, vermicelli noodles, and lots of fresh, crunchy vegetables. The dipping sauce had a very dark hue, was heavy on the chile and crushed peanuts, and had a rather sweet taste.

Bo Nuong Moi Ot

The Bo Nuong Muoi Ot (140,000 dong) was grilled beef with chili salt and seasoned toast. It was like a deconstructed steak sandwich. The steak was tender and flavorful and was hidden underneath a mountain of herbs. The toast was the kind of bread used for kaya toast, with a garlic toast theme. The combination seemed a bit odd, and didn’t really go well together.

Chili Salt

The chili salt was rather salty, and light on the chili.

Chuoi Cuon Nep Nuong, Nuoc Cot Dua

The Chuoi Cuon Nep Nuong, Nuoc Cot Dua (40,000 dong), or gilled banana with sticky rice and coconut milk was a somewhat heavy way to the end the meal, but was not overly sweet. Crispy, grilled sticky rice encased small chunks of banana. The dish had a slightly charred flavor, which added another flavor component. A heavy dousing of coconut milk covered the entire dish, along with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.

The food here is pretty solid, especially for a place that seems to be more about the scene than the food. Prices are very reasonable. Menus are in English, and most of the staff also spoke English.

The Saigon Central Post Office is a tourist attraction itself. Located across the street from the Notre Dame Cathedral, this area can get very crowded at times.

Upon entering the post office, a huge long archway greets you. The ceiling has glass panes in addition to a white painted ceiling with gold and green accents. It is a mixture of different architectural styles. The design of the post office is often credited to Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, but was actually designed by Alfred Foulhoux.

The post office is massive, and has numerous counters. Many people buy postcards at the post office and mail them from here just to say they’ve done it.

There is even a “gift shop” inside of the post office selling many items other than being post office related.

There are maps of Vietnam on either side of the walls.

ATM Kiosks

Perhaps the most clever idea in the post office is renovating old phone booths into private ATM kiosks.

The post office is definitely worth checking out, as this is a magnificent structure, and most tourists will also be visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Chi Hoa is an unassuming restaurant that does traditional Vietnamese cuisine with a slightly modern twist.

The restaurant sits in a small space that is four stories tall. Each room is small, and tables are somewhat close together, creating a cozy atmosphere.

Cafe Su Da

The Café Su Da (32,000 dong) had a nice dark color, signifying strong, dark coffee with not too much sweetened condensed milk. Loads of ice also made the drink pleasant on hot, sweltering days. This caffeine booster would surely bring about more energy.

Fried Vegetable

The meal started out with a complimentary dish of some side of fried vegetable. It was crisp and somewhat chewy at the same time. It was nice to have something to munch on while perusing the menu.

Spring Rolls

The Goi Cuon Tom Thit (Spring Rolls) (52,500 dong) came four to an order and were bursting with vibrant shrimp through the opaque rice paper wrapper. The pork was slightly on the dry side, but the fresh veggies and noodles helped to offset that. The one thing I noticed in Ho Chi Minh City when ordering spring rolls is that the rice paper wrapper was much drier than what I am used to, almost making it crunchy. The sauce had tons of crushed peanuts and fried shallots giving it a lot of texture.

The Bun Thit Bo Xao (Rice Noodles with Beef) (85,000 dong) was presented a little differently to what I am used to. The noodles were nice and springy. There were tons of onions, carrots, and radish along with some scallions, fried garlic, and mint. When I order this back home, it is more like a salad since it comes with a bunch of lettuce, beans sprouts, shrimp paste, and an egg roll. The beef was nice and tender. The accompanying sauce had a huge fish sauce flavor on the finish. This was radically different than what is served back home, but it was very good.

Service was friendly, and they spoke English. Nothing on the dessert menu looked super interesting so I passed on that. The entire bill for the meal was just under $9 USD, which is a great deal. I know you can eat on the street for much cheaper, but for a sit down meal this is well worth it.